Tell Me Why
by possessed-grandpa
Summary: Trigger warning! Ella remarries an evil man named Thomas, and he abuses Aria in every way possible. Aria doesn't have any friends to help her through, until a knight in shining armor comes along. But will she finally learn to trust people?
1. Warning

**PLEASE READ!**

**This is just a warning. This story may contain things that aren't suitable for everyone. A year or so ago I put this story up on here, but then everyone reviewed saying that I am "a sick and perverse person." Trust me, I am not. I originally wrote this story because I was watching ID Discovery and there was a story similar to this. I am not sick, the adults and parents that do this to their kids are the sick ones. Yes, I may offend some people with this story, and I'm sorry about that. But if you don't read this and you go and complain to me, that isn't my problem. Isn't the point of literature to push barriers? I'm not asking you to agree with everything in this story, I don't even agree with it. I am asking you to keep an open mind. This story will not be a sex crazed story, I am going to try to do this story justice and make it good. Not matter what people say, I am going to continue this story. Once again, I am sorry that you may be offended. I'm sorry if you feel the need to attack me for the story I wrote. But it is something that goes on every single day in this world. **


	2. Cold As You

**A/N: if you didn't read the warning, I would if I were you. But if you don't read it, it isn't my problem. Just don't come complaining to me if you didn't read it. **

"Aria!" Thomas raged through the house hitting and pushing everything out of his way. The sound of his stomping feet echoed through the empty house. "I know you're home. Your car is in the garage. Come out, come out wherever you are. No need to be afraid."

Thomas was now outside the teenage girl's bedroom door. It was silent in there, but Thomas knew better to believe she wasn't home. The man opened the door and saw the girl sitting there with headphones in. "Aria!" The petite girl jumped out of bed and cowered in the corner.

"Please don't. No, I can't. Please." Tears were streaming down the girl's face.

"Shut up. I'm so happy your mother married me. I was always infatuated by you. I think you're gorgeous." Thomas walked across the room to the corner. He put his hand on her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. "I love you so much. Do you love me?" Aria nodded her head. "I want you to tell me. Out loud."

"I love you." Aria said quietly.

"What? I didn't hear you."

"I love you!" Aria yelled back in spite.

Thomas pushed Aria back towards her bed. By now, Aria was covered in tears and snot, but didn't stop him from attacking Aria. Thomas kissed Aria aggressively whilst feeling her up.

Downstairs, the front door slammed shut. "Thomas, honey, are you home?" It was Ella, Aria's mom.

"Yeah, I am upstairs. Hold on! I'll be down in a minute." Thomas yelled back.

"Okay honey, I'll get dinner ready." Her footsteps disappeared into the kitchen.

"Now that your mother is home we'll have to do this later. Pick up your stupid child and come downstairs."

Three months ago, Aria gave birth to Amelia Anne Montgomery when she was seventeen. Even though Thomas was Amelia's father, Aria gave her her dad's last name to protect Thomas. Well, more that Thomas forced Aria to make Montgomery her last name. Aria said that her boyfriend at the time, Noel, was Amelia's dad. Thomas paid Noel to keep him quiet. Noel gets three hundred dollars a month to stay quiet, not like he needed it though, his father was one of the richest men in Rosewood.

Aria's dad, Byron, used to be one of the richest men in Rosewood until he was killed two years ago in a horrible car accident. Aria's mom, Ella, didn't waste any time getting remarried. Ella and Thomas dated for two months before they were engaged, and another two months until they were married. Mike, Aria's brother, moved in with their grandparents. Aria and Mike only see each other once in a while at school, the odd chance Aria actually gets to go to school.

"Aria! Dinner is ready, get down here with Amelia." Thomas' voice changes whenever he is with Ella. When he's with Aria, he sounds demanding and sex crazed. When he's with Ella his voice is sweet and sympathetic. That's probably why Ella fell in love with him so fast.

Aria wiped her face with her sleeves and picked up Amelia from her crib on the other side of her room next to her closet.

When she got downstairs, Thomas winked at her. She put Amelia in her high chair and stood there quietly.

"So Aria, did you go to school today?" Thomas asked. Aria rolled her eyes.

"No, I didn't. I couldn't find a babysitter for Amelia."

"You're never going to graduate high school if you keep skipping school." Ella said. She tries to be a good mom, but really she is more interested in Thomas than her children.

"I know mom. I just couldn't find someone to babysit her. I can't very well take her to school and I can't let her stay home alone."

"Well, Thomas doesn't have to work tomorrow, he could watch Amelia."

Aria looked at Thomas, he was sitting there smirking.

"Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"Me? Well, no, not technically. I work at an art studio, I can pick my hours. I just like to spend all my time there. It is relaxing. Oh by the way, I am going to be going out with Ashley."

"Why do you have to go out with Hanna Marin's mom?"

"Because Tom, I want to see my friends. We're going to go to the movies and have dinner."

"Just asking. Aria, are you still friends with Hanna?"

"Not really. Not since I got pregnant." Aria tried to hide her anger, but it came out as sarcasm.

"What is tonight? Gang up on Tom night?" Aria sat there and rolled her eyes every time he said something.

"You know what mom, I'm not really hungry and Amelia's done eating, so I'm going to put Amelia in her crib and go for a walk. Text me before you leave."

Aria went up to her room and put Amelia in her crib and grabbed her phone. As she was walking out of the house, Tom stopped her and said she had to be home right away because they had 'stuff' to do. Aria just walked out the door in response. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she had to have a break from that house.

As she was walking down the street, a dozen cars passed her. This was weird because it was a Wednesday night at 6 pm. No one is ever out at this time. Maybe Noel was having a party at his cabin. But then one car pulled up to Aria and inside was her old English teacher, Ezra Fitz.

"Hey Aria! Do you want a ride somewhere?" Ezra had this boyish charm to him. He wasn't really older than Aria. Aria is seventeen and Ezra is twenty-four.

"Uh… Sure, I guess." Aria had a problem trusting guys because of Tom, but can you really blame her? "Can you drive me back to my house?" In Rosewood, everyone knows where everyone lives.

"You don't seem like you want to go back to your house. What's going on at your house?" Aria was tempted to tell him what Thomas has done to her, but she knew that if she did there would be horrible consequences.

"Nothing, my mom and I are just fighting. It's nothing really."

"Where is your daughter? You have a daughter right?"

"Yeah, I do. Her name is Amelia, she's at home in her crib."

"Amelia, that's a cute name."

"Yeah, I named her after the books 'Amelia Bedelia," Ezra was giggling, "I loved those books when I was little. I know it's a very childish thing."

"No, no it's okay. I understand. I always said my first child was going to be named Malcolm because I loved Malcolm in the Middle when I was little."

"Well, Malcolm is a really cute name. That name for a boy would be so adorable." Ezra stopped the car infront of Aria's house, and Thomas was in the front door. "That's my step-dad, I have to go. Thanks for the ride."

"Are you going to be in school tomorrow? I know you haven't been going. You know I could help you."

"I haven't been going because I don't have anyone to watch Amelia."

"I could watch Amelia for you."

"Don't you have a job you have to do?"

"No, not really. I am a writing a couple of short stories for this book that is going to be published soon. I sit at my apartment all the time writing and not doing anything else."

"I don't know. I'll think about it and get back to you later." Aria got out of the car and turned around, "Thanks again for the ride."

Aria walked to the door and she could tell Tom was furious. She knew what that meant, she wasn't going to get to go to her room and be alone.

"Who the fuck was that?"

"That's Ezra, he was my English teacher."

"Why the hell was he giving you a ride?"

"Because I wasn't going to make it back in time to be here when Mom left."

"Well, you need to go to my room and get on my bed." Aria walked up the stairs past her room and to the room her mom shares with Tom. That bedroom is beautifully decorated, but holds ugly secrets and memories. Tom was right behind Aria. Aria laid down on the edge of the bed. Tom hovered over her. Aria's heartbeat was getting faster and faster, but not in the good way.

"You've been such a bad little slut. Picking up rides from random teachers isn't a good way to get through life." By now, Tom was hovering over Aria in only his boxers, and he was trying to take off Aria's dress. "How much do you love me?" Aria lay there silently, "I said to tell me how much you love me?" Then Tom smacked Aria's face with an intense force.

"I love you so much; I can't imagine a life without you." Aria said without emotion.

"That's what I like to hear from your sexy mouth. Now I want you to do what I love." Aria flipped Tom over onto his back. She pulled down his boxers and started doing what he likes her doing. Then he flipped her over and started licking all over her. Aria tried to keep herself from crying, because she knew that if she did he would start hitting her again.

When Tom decided he was done, he told Aria to leave so he could go to sleep. Aria gathered her clothes and went to her room. Once she was in her room, she exploded with tears. She threw her clothes to the side, and went to her bed. She opened the drawer on her bed side table and took out a journal and scissors.

She picked up the scissors and took them to her thigh. She made two lines adjacent to each other. One for earlier and one for a moment ago. Whenever he hurts her she cuts, so far she has thirty-five lines. Five lines for when she found out she was pregnant. She figured her upper thigh was the best place to cut because nobody ever looks there. Nobody even noticed when she was giving birth, nobody ever pays attention to her.

'Nobody pays attention to me. Nobody likes me. Everyone would be better off if I were dead. I'd be better off if I were dead.' These were the thoughts that went through Aria's mind every night. She thought they were true. She was never told any different.

Aria's sleep was always filled with nightmares of Tom. She hasn't had a peaceful night since she was in the hospital away from Tom. She knew Tom couldn't get her when she was in the hospital. She was safe there. Here, she always looked over her shoulder to make sure he wouldn't attack her from behind.

When Aria woke up, she decided she was going to let Ezra take care of Amelia. What's the harm in letting him take care of her? Aria got out of bed, and an overwhelming pain shot out of her leg.

"Shit, why do I do this to myself?" Aria said to myself.

She limped to her closet and picked out her clothes today. Pants and a t-shirt, the outfit of teen moms. While she was getting dressed, Tom walked into her room. He stood in the doorway and watched her get dressed. "Your mother is at work already. I thought we could have some fun. What do you think?"

"I can't. I'm going to school. I found someone to watch Amelia."

"Amelia's my daughter! I am allowed to watch her!"

"Really? I thought you lost your parental controls when you paid Noel Kahn to say he's her father."

"You little bitch! You can't take her away from me! I'll call the police!'

"Really? What are you going to tell them? That you got your step-daughter knocked up and you pay her ex to say he's the father? Is that what you'll tell them?"

"Fine, take her! Take her to whoever the fuck is going to take care of her! But don't think you're welcomed back here."

"What're you going to tell my mom? That you kicked me out because you aren't allowed to take care of your bastard child? That's a genius idea."

"Don't you mouth off to me you skank. You got yourself knocked up. You threw yourself at me! Don't you see how easy it'd be to get your mom to understand that?"

Aria then tried to get out into the hall, but Tom then pushed her back into her room and into her bed post. She crouched on the floor in pain. "See what happens when you mouth off to me?" He then kicked Aria's sore leg. "You get ten minutes to collect your shit and leave. Don't come back whore."

By now, Amelia was screaming, and Aria was still on the floor writhing in pain. She knew she had to get up to get her things. She stood up, and grabbed a handful of clothes put them in her bags. She then grabbed Amelia's diaper bag and filled it with diapers and wipes. She grabbed another bag and filled it other necessities. She grabbed Amelia and kicked all the bags to the stairs and kicked them down the stairs.

"That better be you leaving! You have two minutes!" Aria opened the front door and ran to her car. She put Amelia in her seat and filled the trunk with the bags. She ran back into the house and found the safe in the basement and took what must've been six hundred dollars. She ran back upstairs and then ran outside. "Get out of here now!"

Aria backed out of the driveway and drove away with tears in her eyes. She headed toward Ezra's apartment. She sat in her car for what felt like an eternity. She was still in so much pain, but she had to get to school.

She got out of her seat slowly, and opened Amelia's door and grabbed her. She walked up to Ezra's apartment and knocked on the door. Ezra opened the door, he had a smile on his face until he realized Aria had just been crying.

"Aria, what happened?"


	3. Tied Together With A Smile

"Aria, what happened?" Ezra repeated, this time more stern. He really did sound sincere toward Aria. He sounded like he did want to hear what she had to say. "Hold on, come in." Ezra stepped to the side giving enough room for Aria to walk in while holding Amelia.

"My step-dad kicked me out of the house."

"What!? Why'd he do that?" Ezra motioned for Aria to sit on the couch.

"Because I wouldn't let him watch Amelia, because I don't trust him with Amelia."

"Why don't you trust him? Did he do something to you to make you feel that way?" Aria was tempted to tell Ezra everything. She felt she could tell him everything without him judging her, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him.

"He just drinks a lot. Sorry, but I have to go to school."

"No Aria, I won't let you go. You aren't okay enough to go; I can see it in your eyes. Stay here."

"I need to find somewhere to live; I need to find a job. Oh my God, I have so much to do. Fuck."

"This may sound extremely weird, but you can stay here for a while. We just can't let anyone know, that would look extremely suspicious. How much money do you have?"

"I have what I took from the safe and whatever is in my wallet, so maybe six-fifty."

"Okay, okay. Well, I can help you with that; I can pay for food and all of that. You just need to buy Amelia's diapers. Okay?"

"Mr. Fitz…"

Ezra interrupted, "Call me Ezra."

"Ezra, I can't live here. It isn't right."

"Where else do you have to live? I didn't think you had friends," Aria shot him an offended glance, "I don't mean it that way. I just mean, I never see you with anyone anymore. Not since you got pregnant."

"Well, that's true..."

"Aria, I promise you can be stay here. I won't do anything to hurt you, or abuse your trust. I promise."

The problem Aria had with this proposition is that the only guys she's ever lived with either died, left her, or abused her. Well, and because he used to be her teacher. She used to see him every day in a classroom. Now she would see Ezra every day, but at home. That'd be strange.

"Uh, well I guess I could stay here until I find a place of my own. Only until then, I promise!"

"Aria, you can stay here as long as you want to, well, as long as you need to. I don't mind. It'll be refreshing to have someone else here. I won't be as lonely."

Aria adjusted uncomfortably on the couch, "I just need somewhere for Amelia to sleep."

"Well, you both can sleep on my bed," Aria's eyes widened and Ezra chuckled, "No; I'll sleep on my couch. Unless you'd rather have the couch."

"It doesn't matter to me. You sleep where you want to sleep."

"Aria, you need to stop doing that if you're going to live with me."

"What am I doing?"

"I'll say 'Do you want the bed or couch?' and you'll say 'Oh, whatever one you don't want.' That is what I am talking about. You need to learn not to be so timid and to stand for what you want."

"Sorry, but the last time I wasn't timid was in tenth grade."

"What happened in tenth grade?"

"That was around the time my dad died, and when my mom started dating my stepdad."

"Oh, I didn't know your dad was dead, I am so sorry."

"It's fine. One night he was driving home from work, he worked at Hollis, and he was unusually late. He always came home at seven on the dot. We automatically knew something was wrong, he was never more than a minute late. He was the most punctual person I knew. Then the police came up to our door and said he was driving down Maple Road and then two drunk assholes were racing and they ran straight into my dad. My dad's car flew straight into a tree, he died on impact." By now Aria was in tears as she always was when someone brought up her dad. She missed her dad, he was the most amazing person she knew. They were as close as parents could be with their child. They shared books, and shared short stories with each other. It was perfect.

"Aria," Ezra put his arm around the sobbing girl and rhythmically rubbed her shoulder, "I'm sorry. You didn't have to tell me that."

"It's okay. My therapist said I should share the story with a lot of people because it would help me get over it, I'm not so sure about that."

"Well, I'm here for you through everything. You can think of me as your best friend. I'll listen to anything you have to say. I will help you through all of your problems. I won't judge."

"Ezra…" Aria tried to tell Ezra what has happened to her, but she couldn't, "I should go get the stuff from my car."

"Do you want me to help you?"

"No, I'll handle it." Aria stood up, her leg was still in so much pain from Thomas. She limped to the door.

"Aria why are you limping?"

"Oh, because I last night I ran into the banister on the stairs and it hurt my leg really bad." Aria then continued to walk down to her car. She managed to pick up all of the filled bags, which was probably twelve, and she walked back up to the apartment. She got to the door and kicked on the door to tell Ezra she needed help opening the door. She stood there for five minutes until she decided to put the bags down and open it herself.

When she opened the door, there Ezra was with his pants around his ankles, and member out for all to see. "Oh, uh…"

"Aria! Shit shit shit!" Ezra jumped off of the couch and struggled to pull up his pants.

"Uh.. I can come back later, and you can, uh, finish."

"No, I'm done. Shit. This is awkward."

"Yeah… But, just asking, why did you think it was a good idea to do that now? Did you think I would take long to get my stuff?"

"Well, I figured I'd be able to get done quickly."

"Uh, well okay. Where do you want me to put this stuff?"

"Uh, yeah, you can put them right there in that closet. There's not much in there."

"Well, I'm gonna go get a cup of coffee." Aria picked up Amelia who was sleeping on the couch and started toward the door.

"Can I go with you?"

"You don't want to finish what you were just doing?"

"No," he laughed nervously, "I'll go with you."

"Uh, well okay." They both walked out the door, "I need to get the stroller from my car." Aria walked to her car and grabbed the stroller and put Amelia in it.

"Alright, so where are we going to go for coffee?"

"Well, my place is Poor Richard's. It is nice and quiet; it's a perfect place for me to bring Amelia. I like to sit there and write."

"You write?"

"Yeah, it's more like fantasies I write about."

"Fantasies about guys or what?"

"No!" Ezra was laughing, "Just what I wish my life was like."

"Do you regret have Amelia?"

The question hit Aria, hard. She doesn't regret Amelia; she just wished Amelia would've come later in her life. Also, that her father wasn't an ass. "I don't regret her entirely. I regret not having her later in my life. I regret having sex with her father."

"If you don't mind me asking, who is her father? Do I know him?"

"It's To… Noel Kahn. I guess you would know him. I don't know if you had him in class. But that's her father."

"If her father's last name is Kahn why is her last name Montgomery?"

"I wanted to honor my father, since he would never be able to meet her."

"Oh, well that makes sense." When they got to Poor Richard's, the group sat at a table in the back and Ezra paid for the coffee, but not without a fight from Aria. "This is really good coffee. I rarely come here, but it is really nice."

"Well, if we're going to be friends, you're going to end up coming here so much."

"I'm fine with that." Then Ezra winked. He winked at Aria. Never has a guy made Aria feel weak in the good way, but Ezra just did that. But she couldn't have a crush on him, could she? No, of course not! He was her teacher. But they are living together, for now. Ezra wouldn't feel the same way as her, would he?

"Uh, well then."

"Why did you get uncomfortable all of a sudden?" At that moment, Thomas and Aria's mom walked into Poor Richard's.

"Uh. My mom and stepdad are here." Ezra turned around right when Ella noticed Aria.

"Aria!" Ella ran up to the group. "Why haven't you come home?"

"Because your husband kicked her out."

"Ezra, what are you two doing together? My husband didn't kick her out, he said she ran away."

"That's bullshit."

"ARIA LANGUAGE!"

"No mom. I will not watch my language. Your ever so loving husband kicked me out and now he is lying straight to your face about what really happened. Why the hell would I run away and leave all of my shit there? Why would I leave all of Amelia's shit there? Did you ever think that through?"

"You didn't leave Amelia's stuff there? Nothing but your bed covered in clothes is in your room. Everything else is gone? Which by the way, I paid for that furniture."

"You didn't pay for that furniture, Dad did. You remember him right?"

"Of course I remember your father."

"Really? Because you didn't waste any time after he died to find a new husband."

"I will not take your attitude young lady." During this fight, Ezra sat in the middle of the two woman, and held Amelia.

"Shut the fu-"

"Aria, don't talk to your mother like that. You left our house." Thomas felt he had to butt into this fight which was obviously about him.

"Shut up Thomas," Aria picked up her purse and grabbed the stroller, "Can we leave now Ezra?" He nodded his hand and immediately stood up and started for the door.

"Thomas, Ella, we don't want you invading into our life right now. Aria is still recuperating from whatever Thomas did to her. Thank you for listening, and we'll be on our way now."

Aria was turned on by Ezra authoritive actions, but not in the sexual way, just in the way she was oddly attracted to him.

"Oh my God! He is such an asshole. FUCK!"

"Aria, calm down. We can go back to my apartment and talk."

"Fine, we can do that." The two walked down the street silently with only the cars passing by to fill the void. When they got back to the apartment building, Aria stormed into the quant apartment, and Ezra was right behind her.

"He is such a fucking asshole. I can't believe him!" Ezra was putting Amelia on his bed while Aria yelled.

"Aria, what happened between you and him? Did he hurt you in anyway?" Aria was silent. "Did he rape you?"

"Yes."


	4. Sad Beautiful Tragic

**A/N: I am so sorry for not updating. Life got in the way and I just didn't feel motivated to write anything. But I am going to try to update a little more since it is summer and all. **

"Yes?" Ezra asked as if he heard her wrong.

"Yes, Thomas raped me," tears were not streaming down her face and they mixed with the snot running out of her nose.

"Aria, are you being a hundred percent truthful? These are serious accusations. This could ruin his life, are you sure?"

"Wow Mr. Fitz, I didn't think you'd be one to think I was lying, thanks it makes me feel so much better about everything." Then Aria stood up and walked around the living room.

"Aria, that's not what I meant," Ezra readjusted himself once again as if it would relive the awkward floating around the room.

"Really? What did you mean? That maybe I was just imagining everything? Or how about that I fantasized about Thomas and that made me think he raped me. You know what would prove it? THE FACT THAT HE IS AMELIA'S FATHER!" In that moment, the room got extremely quiet.

Ezra stood up from the couch and walked towards Aria and hugged her, "I meant that if you are serious about this, we can go straight to the police and all of this can be over."

"I can't… I can't go to the police. This isn't the first time I have told someone that Thomas sexually abused me."

"If this isn't the first time," Ezra said as he guided the girl back to the couch, "then why isn't he in jail? Why isn't he rotting in a small cell?"

"Because nobody believed me! Everyone thought I was just doing that for attention. You know that everyone thinks that teen moms only got pregnant for attention. They never look into how they got pregnant or why they did. It isn't fair."

"Aria, I think we really should go to the police. We can make them do a paternity test to prove he raped you, it is as simple as that."

"EZRA! I CAN'T FUCKING GO TO THE POLICE ABOUT THIS! JUST RESPECT MY WISHES!" The girl stormed to the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Five minutes later, blood curdling screams permeated the apartment.

In the bathroom, the girl sat on the toilet with tears streaming her eyes. She looked for an escape, a way to leave this trauma behind her and just move on. Her eyes instantly went towards the shower, 'He has to have a razor in here somewhere, he has to,' the girl thought.

She peeked her head into the shower and there it was, directly across from her. She reached for it, and fell into the tub. She reached for it again and got it. She cozied herself in the tub and started grazing it across her upper thigh. The blood started to run down her leg instantly.

'Ugh, I should've thought about this more.' The girl thought to herself. She stood up and hopped out of the tub.

Aria cracked the door open to find Ezra sitting mindlessly on the couch while the tv blared some overrated competition show. "Uh, Mr Fitz… Er, Ezra, where are the towels? I want to take a shower, I feel disgusting."

"In the cabinet under the sink. There's also a bar of soap, you can just use my shampoo right?"

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks." Aria quietly shut the door and went to the sink. She pulled out the towel, but something caught her eye.

While Aria was in the bathroom, Ezra sat on the couch with his iPhone gathering his attention. He was busying playing Candy Crush Saga and texting his brother, Wesley.

The man heard the bathroom door open for the second time, "Uh Ezra, what is this?" Aria said as she walked out of the bathroom with a pile of Playboys in her hands.

Ezra lifted his head, expecting to see nothing of importance. When he saw what it really was, he jumped off of the couch and snatched them from her. "Oh shit Aria. You weren't supposed to see that. Crap."

"It's okay, I won't tell anyone at school that you have a pile of porn under your bathroom sink." Aria promised with a wink.

Then Ezra noticed what Aria was wearing, a towel, and nothing else. "Miss Montgomery," Ezra said while he swallowed, "Don't you think it is a tad bit inappropriate that you aren't wearing clothes?"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't notice that I wasn't wearing…"

Aria was cut off by Ezra, "WHY IS YOUR LEG BLEEDING? ARE YOU OKAY? DID YOU HURT YOURSELF?"

"Crap, you weren't supposed to see that!" Aria bent over and rubbed the self-inflicted cuts with her towel.

"Aria, what did you do?" Ezra walked closer to the bloody girl.

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry. You didn't sign up for this." For the second time that night, Aria was fighting her tears to speak.

Ezra put his arms around the timid girl, "Aria, I'm not gonna lie, I didn't sign up for any of this. Nobody just signs up for this. That's the thing about life, you get dealt things that you don't want to deal with, but somebody has to do it. I'm glad that I get to help you deal with this. I will help you with this, I promise you that. You need to have something stable in your life, and I figure that Amelia and I could be that. Now this will only work if you let me help you. This may sound like every cliché story about a girl that self-harms and then her Knight in Shining Armor comes and helps her to get better and get over her problems, but it isn't like that at all. It is going to be hard, I know that, but I can help. I really can."

"Ezra stop. You can't help me, nobody can help me."

"And you just said the most cliché thing somebody in your position could say."

"Want to know what is cliché? A teenage girl with depression, daddy issues, and they cut themselves. Yeah that is pretty fucking cliché, don't you think?"

"Okay, let's just stop with the whole cliché thing. Okay?" Aria nodded her head, "I just want you to feel better and be happier about yourself! That is my job as your provider and also your teacher that I help you!"

"OKAY! I GET IT! LET'S HELP THE LITTLE LOST TEENAGE GIRL THAT DOESN'T KNOW WHAT SHE WANTS OR WHAT SHENEEDS! OKAY JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU DILLWEED!"

"Did you just call me a dillweed?"

"Yes, matter in fact I did. Do you have a problem with that?" Ezra chuckled.

Somewhere, in the wild emotions floating around, Ezra got lost in Aria's beautiful eyes and leaned into kiss her. But it didn't stop there, and Aria didn't try to stop him. The kiss lasted for a minute before either one of them realized what they were doing.

"Uh. Well I am going to go take that shower now."


	5. The Outside

Aria ran down the hallway, out of breath, and momentum. She had to get away though. Far, far away. This isn't what she wanted; this isn't what she dreamed of. Here she was seventeen years old, running away from the police and her step-father.

"Aria Montgomery, come out of the house with your hands above your head." The faint sound of the speaker traveled through the abandoned hallways.

"Aria? Where are you?" The voice was getting closer.

"Ezra? Is that you? Where are you?" The breathless girl managed out of her mouth.

"Aria? Where are you?"

"Ezra! Ezra, I'm right here!"

The girl opened the door nearest to her on the right. In the room, there was a single chair with somebody sitting in it.

"Aria? Where are you?" His voice was in this room. Aria walked around the person, expecting it to be Ezra. It wasn't, it was Thomas.

"Thomas." Aria backed up against the wall.

"Hello beautiful." The man stood up and walked toward Aria. She tried to scurry away, but it was to no avail. The scraggly man put his hand up against her face, "I've been waiting for you." He leaned in for a kiss right as Aria shot out of the bed with sweat dripping down her body.

"Aria? Are you okay?" Ezra was standing in his kitchen staring out the window across the room.

She looked around to gather her surroundings, and it took her a moment to realize where she was. "Yeah, yeah."

"Do you uh, want to talk about it?"

"No, I don't."

"Okay, well you should probably get ready."

"Ready for what?"

"For school. You know that thing you go to and learn? Are you going to go?"

"Hah, no I'm not going." Aria slid off the bed and walked to Amelia. "I haven't gone in a week and I don't plan on going back."

"And why not Aria? Your education is very important, and I would think you would understand that."

"Ezra, don't."

"You're not going to get to live here if you don't go to school." Aria walked into the kitchen with Amelia in her arms and managed to look through the refrigerator. " The milk is on the bottom shelf."

"Would you really make me go back to live with Thomas if I don't go to school?"

"No, no. Of course not. I was just hoping that would persuade you into going to school."

"Ezra," Aria sighed loudly, "About that kiss…"

"It was nothing. Nothing at all."

"Oh. Alright." But that wasn't what Aria wanted to hear. Aria wanted him to say that he loved her and that she was beautiful and perfect and everything would be okay. Aria had always had a small crush on her English teacher, but that kiss… It meant more to her than any other kiss had meant to her. She kept replaying the kiss in her head. Something about that kiss was just different. It was filled with passion, and not just one-sided passion. The kind of passion that novels are written about and that little girls dream about their whole life. The type of passion that fireworks are expected to explode in a beautiful arrangement over their heads.

"Aria? Did you hear anything that I just said?" Aria shook her head. "I didn't think so. Well I was thinking maybe you should go to school today and if that goes well, you can keep going. If it doesn't go so hot, I won't bother you anymore about it. Do we have a deal?"

"Yeah, sure I guess. I'll go get dressed now I guess." Aria grabbed random clothes from her bag and walked to the bathroom while Ezra stayed in the kitchen feeding Amelia. Minutes later, Aria came out of the bathroom dressed in baggy jean and a tight fighting t-shirt that had a big band label on it. "So, I guess I'll take my car and bring Amelia to the day care place."

"I can drive you. It isn't far out of my way, plus I don't mind."

"Really? What would the town think about a teacher driving around one of his students and her daughter?"

"Aria… Can't you just accept someone's offer without questioning it or thinking about what other people think?" Aria gave Ezra a dirty look, "Hey! I am just saying. You need to start living for yourself and not somebody else."

"Well it is kind of hard to live for yourself when you're basically foreplaying with your stepfather all the time, now isn't it?" Aria said sarcastically with a huge cheeky smile.

"I'm just saying. One day, I am going to get you to do something out of your comfort zone and you're going to like it. Now get your stuff and meet me in my car." Ezra walked out of the apartment while juggling a baby and his brief case. Aria let out a huge sigh and went back into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror.

"You can do this. I believe in you Aria. You can do this. You're strong enough to face a few hundred people that are the same age as you. Maybe Ezra will stand up for you during class. Not like other teachers would. Aria, you are strong, you can do this." Aria recited the pep talk she gives herself every time she is forced to go to school.

She grabbed her stuff and headed downstairs to find a very confused Ezra Fitz trying to figure out Amelia's car seat. After a couple bumps on the roof of the car, Ezra figured it out and buckled the little girl in. The trio soon become a couple after they dropped off Amelia at the local day care.

When the twosome arrived at the enormous school, they quickly parted their ways. Almost as fast as the two left each other, the crude comments started. 'Hey Whore!' 'Hey Slut, how is that bastard child of yours?' 'Are you knocked up again? You're looking a bit pudgy.' Aria had to resist the urge to turn around and punch everyone in the face and walk out of the school.

"Aria! I didn't think you were coming back to school! My mother really wants me to give this to you," a girl named Sarah Radzonawski said as she handed Aria a pamphlet that read 'God Will Always Love You.'

"Uh thanks Sarah. But I don't need that. It really doesn't fit my beliefs." Aria shoved the paper back into Sarah's hand and sped walked toward her first class, which so happened to be English Composition 3 with Ezra Fitz.

As Aria walked in, everybody turned and looked at her. Multiple whores, sluts, and easy hoes were heard circling the room.

"That is enough every one! No need to be extremely rude to Miss Montgomery."Ezra said as he slammed his book on his desk. "Okay, now let's just shut up and continue with our lesson about how in 'Animal Farm' that animals actually are parallels to real life dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini."

Aria sat in her usual desk in the very back, a seat over from the window. "Hey Aria," she looked up and saw her old friend, Emily, staring at her, "Are you okay?"

"Do you care?"

"Aria, stop. I do care about you. You're the one that pushed everybody away."

"I only pushed you all away because…"

"Aria and Emily would you kindly stop talking so I can continue teaching the class?" Aria looked at Ezra as he winked at her. The two girls mumbled okay and turned back to their assignment. Then the bell rang and Aria's peers started filing out of the class, not without shooting glances at the girl. "Aria can you stay?"

Aria walked up to Ezra's desk as the final students left the class. "Aria, are you okay with being here right now?"

"No. Do I look like I'm okay with being here?"

"Aria…" Ezra said with a bit of disappointment in his voice.

"No Mr. Fitz, I don't want to be here. You don't see how I am treated here! You don't hear what I hear while walking down the hall. You don't get whore and slut yelled at you while you walk down the hall. You don't have people staring at you while you get stuff out of your locker. People leave the bathroom when I walk in. EVERYBODY TREATS ME LIKE I AM A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE AND IF THEY TALK TO ME OR TOUCH ME THEY WILL DIE! ALL BECAUSE THAT DOUCHE BAG GOT ME PREGNANT!" Right as Aria yelled that, Noel Kahn, the one that everybody believes is Amelia's father, walked into the classroom.

"Oh, uh. I'll leave." Noel said.

"No, you stay. I'm leaving." Aria walked out of the classroom and straight out the front door.

"Aria! Stop!" Ezra yelled while he ran after her.

"What do you want Mr. Fitz!? I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE! SO LET ME LEAVE IN PEACE!"

"Aria, just listen to me. You can sit in my class for the rest of the day. Nobody will bother you in there, okay? I just want you to stay. Please, for me." And that is where Ezra could use his boyish charm to his advantage. "Please Aria. Don't make me get on my knees and make me beg."

"What would the school board think of you on your knees begging for a student to go back inside?"

"That I care deeply about your education, of course." Ezra said with the boyish charm oozing out of him.

"Oh, yeah that's what you care about. Isn't it?" Aria said with a wink.

"Of course, what else would I be talking about?" Ezra took Aria's hand in his, and walked back to into the school. "I knew you would come back inside with me, I knew it."

"You're dumb." Ezra shot her another one of his irresistible smiles. "But yes, I was going to go with you any ways."

"Yeah, I know." Aria gave Ezra a playful push, but then she looked up and saw Principal Mulligan standing in front of them.

"What do we have here Mr Fitz?"

"Oh, I was just walking Miss Montgomery back to my classroom where she is going to spend the day cleaning and doing school work."

"Why isn't she going to go to her other classes? Besides isn't it second period? Why aren't you in your room teaching?"

"She isn't going to the other classes because of the outstanding amount of bullying she is receiving. So I am letting her sit in my room as long as she would like to just cool off and gather her emotions and everything. I do not currently have a class right now."

"Oh do you want me to talk to the school about bullying or something like that Miss Montgomery?"

"That would be great,"Aria said with a deep sigh, "but I don't think that would help at all. The bullying is too intense."

"Oh well I am sorry to hear that. Well you can go ahead and go to the classroom. Hope you have a better day."

"Thank you Principal Mulligans," Ezra said as the Principal walked away, "Yeah. We gonna go do work."

"Shut up Ezra." Aria said as she once again playfully shoved Ezra.

Then from behind them, there was a loud gasp. The two people turned around to see Mona Vanderwaal and Hanna Marin standing there with their phones pointed at them. "Ohmigod."


	6. Treacherous

**A/N: I am so sorry for not updating in so long. I am going to try to start writing more, I can't make any promises though. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Every time I check my email, I get excited and happy when it says a new review for Tell Me Why. So thank you, you don't know how much that means to me. This chapter is a little different, it is a memory, or well just Aria talking to you about what happened between her and Tom. Enjoy and please review, as I said before, it really makes me happy. **

_I remember the first time I met Tom. He seemed like the perfect man for my mother, oh boy was I wrong. He is a cruel jerk that sometimes I just really want to kill. I would never ever hurt someone, but him… I wouldn't think twice about it. _

_Mike and I were on our way to The Grille to pick up dinner. Ever since our dad died, we have eaten out more and more often. Most of the night it was at The Grille, so it was almost healthy. But I miss those nights we would sit around the dinner table talking about our day and everything. _

_I remember the first time for everything he ever did to me. I remember the first time he kissed me. It was while my mom was at the store, I was lying in bed texting Hanna. He knocked on my door and, if I would've thought what was about to happen was going to happen, I wouldn't have let him in. _

_He sat down on my bed as he said, "You know, you're really beautiful. Why don't you have a boyfriend?"_

"_I guess I just don't want one," I replied. _

"_Well, you don't want to waste that beauty, you won't be this young forever." Then he leaned in and kissed me forcefully. _

_I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to do. I had never been kissed like that before. Well I had never been kissed before. He stole that first kiss from me. That was just one of the firsts of mine he would steal from me._

* * *

_The first time he touched me. Now that I was utterly disgusted and surprised._ _I was lying on my bed, like when he kissed me, but I was reading a short story Mr. Fitz assigned us for homework. He sat down next to me on my bed, and he started talking to me like before. _

"_You are really beautiful, did you know that?"_

"_You told me last week I was. So yeah, I do know."_

"_Mmm, snarky. I like." I shot him a look that looked disgusted. _

"_What do you want Tom?"_

"_Now now. Don't get all frumpy on me." Then he got up and hovered over me. He moved closer to my face, I turned away. "Aria. Stop, or I'll tell your mother you aren't doing your chores."_

_He grabbed my face and pounded his lips onto mine. His hands explored my body in ways a stepfather should never do. Then his hands went under my shirt and to my boobs. I sat there wiggling trying to get away from him. _

"_No, stop it. Please."_

"_Shut up you ungrateful little bitch." That day was also the first day he hit me. _

_Then he put his hands in my pants, and I started crying. He didn't stop despite me yelling at him to stop. I didn't know if I should scream. I thought about it, but I knew I shouldn't, he could hurt me even more. Then the door downstairs opened and slammed shut. _

"_HONEY!? Are you home? I need to talk to you." That day was also the day my brother decided to move out. It was the worse day in my life._

* * *

_The day I learned I was pregnant wasn't much better either. It was a month after he first raped me. In that time, he had raped me ten more times. Once when I was on my period, that was the most uncomfortable thing in the world. _

_I was sitting on the toilet staring down at the little white test. My period was five days late, and I was seriously worried. I had Spencer buy me a pregnancy test and I hurried to the bathroom at school. I sat at the toilet in tears when the little plus sign popped up. My life was over, I thought. I didn't know how I would explain it to my mom and Tom. _

_After school that day, I got home and Tom was sitting on the couch watching some sport. I sat down on the edge of the couch. _

"_Why are you late? Your mom is going to home soon. "_

"_I'm pregnant." I blurted out. I looked at Tom and he was speechless. _

"_Are you fucking kidding me?" _

_I shook my head._

"_It's obviously not mine." _

_I sat there motionless. "Are you kidding me? Of course it's yours! I haven't slept with anyone by choice, ever! Fuck you." _

_I stood up and ran up the stairs. I could hear the slam of his footsteps behind me. I opened my door and slammed it shut. But it never closed. I turned around, there was Tom standing in the doorway staring at me._

"_What did you say to me? You little worthless bitch!" He walked toward me and started punching me. This was the rest of my life, and my child's life. _

_Later that night when my mom got home, I asked her to come in my room so that we could talk. For the first five minutes, I squirmed around on my bed. Going from sitting to laying to standing. Butterflies flew around my stomach to my feet and back up to my stomach. _

"_Aria, what do you want to talk about?" My mom said as she put her hand on my lap._

"_Mom," I took a deep breath, "I'm pregnant."_

"_What?"_

"_I'm pregnant."_

"_No, I understood that. But how?"_

"_Mom, I am pretty sure you know how."_

"_Who is the dad?"_

"_The dad is To-"_

"_The dad is Noel Kahn." Tom said when he popped his head into my room._

"_I didn't even realize you two were still an item."_

"_We weren't, but it was just a one time thing."_

"_Wait… Why did Tom know before me?"_

"_Because Aria was visibly upset when she got home. So we started talking and she told me." He lied again. _

"_So Aria, are you going to keep it?"_

"_I DON'T KNOW! WHY SHOULD I MAKE THAT DECISION? Get out of my room please."_

* * *

_For the next nine months, I suffered bullying at school and home. Tom continued to rape me even though I was pregnant. He continued to beat me and treat me horribly. When Amelia was born, Tom didn't even wait a week to rape me again. It was non-stop from then on. The bullying got worse until I eventually just stopped going. And now I am here, in Ezra's apartment. _

_How did my life get so screwed up?_


End file.
